Toward the end of the school year in Kisa classrooms, excitement is in the air (and butterflies are in a few stomachs). It is time for the Year One Presentations (Y1P).
This assignment, which leads to a Year 2 capstone project called the 2 Day Challenge, gives Kisa Scholars a chance to shine. They demonstrate all that they have learned in their first year, the organizational skills they have gained, and the confidence they now possess.
Guided and supported by their Kisa Mentor, each Year One Kisa Scholar conducts an assessment of her own or another local community. As part of the assessment, she identifies a range of issues impacting the community and chooses one that she thinks is of the most concern. She then develops a presentation explaining the challenge and proposing possible solutions.
Year 1 Presentation 2017 – this Kisa Scholar’s topic is “Say NO to early pregnancies and early marriage.”
Let me share one impressive example: Sara and her Drip Irrigation Scheme.
Sara, a Kisa Scholar from Ashira Secondary School, identified “idle youth” as a big issue in her community. This issue is linked to poor farming practices and a lack of creativity. As part of her Year One Presentation, she explained that she had explored the issue in depth and discovered how much people depend on rain for farming. During the seasons that have no rain, people tend to be unproductive and that led her to come up with a possible solution of a drip irrigation scheme to extend the growing season.
During her presentation, Sara proudly showed a box filled with soil, in which there was some vegetation. Small pipes around the vegetation spread water from the small bottle, which represents a well or tank. This allows the vegetables to grow well even when there is no rain. Sara believes that due to the introduction of a drip irrigation scheme, idleness will no longer be an issue in her community. Watch the video to hear Sara’s description of the project in her own words!
“Through Kisa I can show my potential and give back to my community. Thank you Kisa for showing a clear path for my community,” said Sara.
As Sara’s Kisa Mentor, I was so happy to see her creativity. She will get the opportunity to implement her idea when she does her Two Day Challenge Project as a Year Two Kisa Scholar.
[vc_empty_space height=”16px”][vc_video link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oNB0DURZBI” align=”center”]
Contributed by: Magdalena Leonard Kitinya, Kisa Mentor & Alumna
